Macclesfield Express
‘Safety’ plans for reservoir are rejected
CONTROVERSIAL plans by Cheshire East Council to undertake disputed ‘safety’ works at Poynton Pool reservoir have been narrowly refused. The council’s strategic planning board (SPB) voted by five to four on Friday to reject the application on the...
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Screening unit to receive cash from ‘Boot Out Cancer’
THE Breast Screening Unit at Macclesfield District General Hospital is set to receive a significant boost following the news that it will be one of the beneficiaries of the 2026 Boot Out Breast Cancer Ball. Scheduled to take place on Saturday 7 March...
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Disruptive site closed down by the police
POLICE in Macclesfield have closed down a disruptive address following the successful granting of a closure order. The property on Ivymeade Road, Macclesfield, was issued with a three-month closure order on Monday 29 December. The order follows the...
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Tributes after death of talented football star
TRIBUTES are pouring in for an ‘unbelievably talented footballer’ who has tragically died at the age of just 19. Winnie Mayele has passed away following a battle with cancer. She had been set to start her studies at the University of Lancashire next...
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‘He gave his all in everything he did’
MACCLESFIELD FC has said the club has been ‘rocked from top to bottom’ by the tragic death of 21-year-old player Ethan McLeod. The non-league striker had been travelling back from the Cheshire club’s game away at Bedford Town on Tuesday (December 16)...
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Council issues apology over town ‘support’
The leader and deputy leader of Cheshire east Council have apologised publicly and said they ‘sincerely regret’ writing a letter which appeared to support the proposal for Adlington new town. The letter, obtained through a freedom of information...
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Call to fight 20,000-home new town proposal
CHESHIRE East is being urged by its councillors to fight controversial proposals for a new town at Adlington. Up to 20,000 homes could be built on greenfield land around the existing village after the government revealed Adlington is one of 12 sites...
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PCC grilled over cost-cutting plan for local policing
CHESHIRE’S police and crime panel has quizzed commissioner Dan Price over proposals which could see up to 60 police community support officer (PCSO) roles axed across the county. The constabulary has launched an internal consultation to save £13m over...
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Lap it up this is a magical Christmas experience
WHEN it was first announced that hit Christmas attraction LaplandUK was going to be opening its magical portal in the North West for the first time ever this year, it’s fair to say it sent parents into a frenzy. The original Ascot version has been...
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Company teams raise over £24,000 for two causes in charity challenge
TEAMS from Macclesfield-based Metro Rod and Metro Plumb have successfully raised £24,585 through their One Metro: Miles for a Mission charity challenge. The nationwide fundraising initiative, which saw employees walking, running and cycling in the...
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Zoo’s new arrivals could help secure future of species
TWO of the world’s rarest big cats have arrived at Chester Zoo as part of a conservation programme to help save their endangered species from extinction. Northeast African cheetah brothers Kendi and Tafari have travelled 100 miles from Yorkshire...
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Bid to boost numbers claiming OAP credit
THE Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is launching a new trial in the hopes of increasing the amount of people claiming Pension Credit. It comes as it was revaled that it was revealed that the take up of pension credits is 53 per cent in Cheshire...
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The ‘CEO’ of huge drugs gang is jailed
THE head of a ‘staggeringly’ large organised drug network that ‘reached every corner of the UK’ has been jailed. Kingpin Gregory Bell, from Prestbury, gave instructions, negotiated prices and co-ordinated deliveries but distanced himself from the...
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CEC ‘ignored road collapse’ warnings
CHESHIRE East Council has been accused of ignoring numerous warnings over the state of a rural road before it suffered a carriageway collapse. As reported in last week’s Express, Standing Stone Road, in Macclesfield Forest, is closed after a sinkhole...
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Councils unite to oppose new town
PARISH and town councils have joined together in opposition to the proposed new town in Adlington - branding it “a betrayal of Britain’s democratic traditions”. At a Bollington Town Council meeting on Tuesday, October 7, the possibility of a...
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Opposition to new town gathers pace
LITTLE more than a week after the government announced a large new town could be built at Adlington, plans - and opposition - seem to be gathering pace. Figures for the number of homes there range from 14,000 to 20,000 and the lead developer, Belport,...
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30-year-old charity appeals for funds as it faces closure
ADRAMA group for youngsters with disabilities faces closure as the charity that runs it is struggling to attract the necessary funds. Friends for Leisure’s drama club has taken place at Fallibroome Academy, on Priory Lane, Macclesfield, for 20...
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Rapists put behind bars
TWO rapists - including one whose victim was a child - have been locked up this week. Daniel Carter, 28, from Macclesfield, was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment at Chester Crown Court on Friday, September 12. Branded ‘depraved and gutless’ by...
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Lockable pouches keep phones away during school time
ASCHOOL has begun the new academic year by introducing secure phone pouches to tackle the use of mobiles in the classroom. Pupils at Tytherington School now begin the day by placing their phone in a lockable pouch - where it remains sealed until home...
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‘I’ll destroy you’ man told his ex after linking-up with her daughter
ABARMAN was hauled before a court after threatening to ‘bury’ and ‘destroy’ his ex-girlfriend in a Snapchat rant after he announced he had got engaged to her daughter. Timothy Steels, 49, from Macclesfield, believed Jurairat Sherratt, 45, was...
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Clients love Mark’s free garden revamps
GARDENING is one of those labourintensive tasks that can frequently overwhelm us. When neglected, your outdoor space might become increasingly challenging to manage. Recently, one man earned widespread online acclaim for his extraordinary act of...
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10th anniversary of Lodge marked with Disney party
BROUGHTON Lodge, a specialist residential service for adults with autism and learning disabilities in Macclesfield, celebrated its 10th anniversary in style with a vibrant Disney-themed summer party, bringing together the people they support, their...
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Councillor appears in court on strangulation charge
THE alleged victim of an attack by a Cheshire councillor got her injuries because he was ‘trying to restrain her’, a court was told. Ashley Farrall, who represents Macclesfield Central on Cheshire East Council, is on trial at Chester Crown Court on...
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Judge cancels go-ahead for care complex
AJUDGE has quashed Cheshire East’s decision to grant planning permission for a 139-home extra care retirement complex at Alderley Park. Alderley Park is a life science campus and, because it is in the green belt, development is restricted. The...
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Family pays tribute to a ‘strong lady’ found dead at home
TRIBUTES have been paid to a woman whose ‘laugh you could not forget’ as detectives investigate her murder. Gwyneth Carter, 72, died in her own home on Pearson Street, Macclesfield, on Friday, July 18, police say. Officers had been called to the...
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Developers set sights on more green spaces
BUILDING on Macclesfield’s green belt and open spaces has become the focus once again with two separate proposals potentially bringing nearly 300 new homes. Public consultation closed this week on an outline planning application for 200 properties on...
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Inactive crossing ‘makes accident a matter of time’
APEDESTRIAN crossing to help families negotiate a busy main road is still not working nine months after it was installed - making a road accident ‘just a matter of time’. The safety measure was put in place on London Road, Lyme Green, as part of the...
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Road suffers new collapse
JUST when drivers thought things could not get any worse on the B5470 Macclesfield Road ....... the route suffered another collapse. Cheshire East Council said on Thursday, June 26, that a bank near Reed Bridge, in Kettleshulme, had given way. It...
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Games bring enjoyment to Everybody
THERE was sporting action galore as the Everybody Games took place at Macclesfield Leisure Centre. The event had an inclusive day on Thursday, June 26, when teams from Park Lane School and the leisure centre’s Lifestyle Group were among those taking...
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Man hid £715k cannabis farm in former bank
AMAN who turned a former high street bank into a ‘sophisticated’ cannabis farm worth up to £715,000 has been jailed. Voktot Isufaj, 43, used what was the Halifax branch on Chestergate, Macclesfield, to grow more than 700 plants with heat lighting,...
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Bad behaviour drops after new powers adopted
ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour has dropped by more than 65 per cent since powers were introduced in Macclesfield town centre to crack down on booze-fuelled disorder, a councillor said. Coun Ashley Farrall was speaking at Thursday’s meeting of the environment...
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Potholes call over £53m repair fund
PART of £53m investment in roads has been earmarked to get the B5470 reopened but in the same week campaigners branded our town’s roads a ‘disgrace’. Cheshire East Council announced the large sum will be spent in 2025/26 as part of the borough’s...
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Setback for unpopular homes plan
DEEPLY unpopular and environmentally damaging plans to develop Danes Moss will not now go ahead in their current format, Cheshire East Council has confirmed. The authority will withdraw the raft of planning applications that would have created the...
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Council’s £68k on design-consultant work ‘a big waste’
THE council has been accused of wasting money after paying £68,000 to street furniture design consultants – then placing planters ‘in the same location’ as the old ones. A Cheshire East project has seen the floral display holders installed on Mill...
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CELEBRATING VE DAY ANNIVERSARY P10-11 Crime gang sentenced over supply of drugs
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FIRE DAMAGES WILDLIFE HABITATS Protester is guilty of child sex offences
AMAN whose rooftop protest saw part of Macclesfield town centre cordoned off has been found guilty of predatory child sex offences. Leo Deen, 61, will be sentenced for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child a woman set up a Facebook...
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MP hails his ban from Russia as a ‘badge of honour’
MACCLESFIELD’S MP has been banned from entering Russia by angry Vladimir Putin following his support for Ukraine. Tim Roca says being one of 15 MPs barred from the authoritarian country for being part of the UK’s ‘confrontational’ approach is a ‘badge...
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Visitors flocking to see Jake, the five-legged lamb
THIS is no attempt to pull the wool over your eyes... but a five-legged lamb has been born in Macclesfield. Jake arrived to a small flock in Sutton late on March 31 and is now awaiting an operation to have his extra limb removed. Owner Alice Jackson,...
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Pair go on trial over plot to steal details of crash drivers
TWO businessmen have gone on trial accused of being involved in a conspiracy to steal the private details of drivers who had been in crashes. Thomas Daly, 35 and Craig Cornick, 39, both from Macclesfield, have gone on trial for their alleged roles in...
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Ray, 86, beats parking firm in court fight
APENSIONER who was given a £70 parking charge while attending a hospital appointment has won a court battle to get it overturned. Ray Field, 86, from Macclesfield, represented himself at Stockport County Court against Parkingeye, who issued the charge...
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We had little option on car park fees
ACOUNCIL transport boss has defended the decision to increase charges at car parks amid claims it will ‘destroy’ Macclesfield town centre. Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of the highways and transport committee, said: “Coupled with the council’s...
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POLICE APPEAL
POLICE have made an appeal for witnesses after two burglaries in Hurdsfield. There was a break-in at a home on Carisbrook Avenue on Friday, March 21, around 9.20pm. Car keys were taken and the vehicle was searched with items stolen. There was an...
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Councillor’s crown court trial pencilled in for August date
AMACCLESFIELD councillor accused of strangulation and trying to pervert the course of justice has appeared in court. Ashley Farrall, who represents Macclesfield Central on Cheshire East Council, appeared remotely at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday,...
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Concern over car park sell off proposal
PROPOSALS that look at selling off part of two Macclesfield town centre car parks for housing - at a loss of 323 spaces - have divided opinion. Parking provision has been a long-standing controversial topic and the areas in question are long-stay...
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Homes plan raises fears of school places shortage
FEARS have been raised over a shortage of school places in Macclesfield, with at least one school operating well above capacity and the council are being asked for answers. Save Macclesfield Green Belt has requested Cheshire East Council reveal...
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It’s bin ages since rubbish was collected
RESIDENTS have been left with overflowing rubbish as roadworks mean there have been no bin collections for nearly a month - with further weeks of potential disruption scheduled. Electricity North West workers have been on Langley Road, Langley, since...
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‘Shocking and unacceptable’
RAIL companies have been slammed for providing a ‘shocking and unacceptable’ service that leaves Macclesfield travellers at the mercy of late, expensive and cancelled trains. MP Tim Roca has demanded urgent action to improve from operators Northern...
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Boy hurt by dog
A SCHOOLBOY was left injured after he was attacked by an out of control dog. The 11-year-old was bitten on the leg near to the Scout Hut on Coppice Road, Poynton, on Sunday, February 2, at around 10.45am. Police have appealed for witnesses and say...
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A double blow as major firms hit problems
AMAJOR Macclesfield firm is on the brink of closure while another has gone into adminstration. Henshaws Envirocare, a waste management company on Moss Lane, announced it will shut at the end of March, due to ‘various factors’. Paper and card...
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Bid for a huge council tax rise sparks anger
THE prospect of sky-high council tax bills moved closer after Cheshire East asked the government’s permission to set an increase of up to 9.99 per cent for 2025-26. The council met with Whitehall officials on Friday to formally make the request – a...
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Family ‘arson attack’ terror
AFAMILY have spoken of their terror after falling victim to what they believe was an arson attack at their home. Grant and Jodie Cooke, both 35, of Briarwood Avenue, Macclesfield, had their Nissan Navara destroyed in the early hours of New Year’s...
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Fly-tippers are put in the frame
CHRISTMAS week saw Macclesfield’s own version of the Nativity – named No Room at the Tip – on social media amid a spate of fly-tipping. Residents took to Facebook with photographs of dumped waste, one example was a large amount left at...
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MARCH
●●ACTION was demanded to punish those responsible for an ‘environmental disaster’ in the River Bollin that left an estimated 1,000 or more fish dead. A huge area of thick, white foam was first spotted in the stretch of the river near Black Lane,...
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Welsh learners mark their first anniversary
MEMBERS of the Macclesfield Welsh Learners’ Group marked its first anniversary on Saturday, December 7. The group meets at the Silk Museum café at 10am on the first Saturday of each month. An original membership of four has grown to 20 and over the...
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Plan for 200 homes
ADEVELOPER has revealed plans for a major housing development in Macclesfield and says there has been an underdelivery of new homes in the town. Bloor Homes hopes to build 200 properties – with a mix of one to four bedrooms – on land at Prestbury...
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Black bin collection changes to save £1m
THREE-WEEKLY black bin collections will be introduced across Cheshire East from April 2026 with one councillor saying, ‘the fact is we can’t afford to not do this’. The cash-strapped council needs to reduce spending by £100m over the next four years...
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Owner hit with £1,200 legal bill after her dog killed lambs
ABUSINESSWOMAN has been hit with a £1,200 legal bill after her Golden Labrador killed three lambs during a walk in a farmer’s field. Victoria Yoxall, 56, of Tytherington, faced charges after her unleashed pet savagely attacked the lambs as they...
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We’d pay to keep library open all hours say public
THE results of a Bollington public consultation have been published as heavily in favour of paying to maintain full library opening hours and keep Pool Bank car park free. According to the town council out of 735 responses, 604 came back as strongly...
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Paying tribute to those who died in battle
CROWDS fell silent as Remembrance Day events across the area paid tribute to those who lost their lives in war. The main parade and service took place in Macclesfield town centre on Sunday. A parade went from the town hall to the cenotaph at Park...
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Four in five criminals are escaping justice
AROUND one in five crimes committed in the Macclesfield policing area results in the perpetrator being successfully mitted.prosecuted. Inspector Nick Rogers told a meeting of Macclesfield Town Council that in the last full calendar year there had been...
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Prison for thief who stole from lockers at luxury spa
APROLIFIC thief who stole from lockers at a luxury spa hotel as victims used the leisure facilities has been jailed. Nicholas Hughes, 51, struck at Shrigley Hall, Pott Shrigley, twice in one day and was caught following a nationwide manhunt. He also...
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The final curtain comes down on culture festival
AFTER 14 years of fun, creativity and colour the organisers of Barnaby Festival have announced it is no more. The festival took place for the first time in 2010 and since then has grown into one of Macclesfield’s premiere events - with a parade,...
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In brief
●●TWO thieves have been sentenced for taking a quad bike from a Macclesfield farm. The vehicle was taken from an address near Wincle in May this year leading to a police witness appeal. Last week Benjamin Halam, of Cavan Drive, Merseyside, and Jayden...
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5.3% increase in cost of licence for your garden waste
AMID tip closures and black bin collections possibly becoming less frequent, subscriptions for garden waste recycling are open – now costing 5.3 per cent more. Cheshire East Council began charging £56 a year extra for green bin emptying in January and...
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